Accelerating the Global Expansion of Europe’s Most Promising Startups

On
June 11th, participants in the Innovate!Europe Trade Mission dined at
Palo Alto’s iconic deal-making restaurant, Il Fornaio, as part of their
weeklong tour of Silicon Valley. During dinner, the entrepreneurs
reconnected with many of the mentors from the Master Class in Zaragoza,
Spain, including Madeline Duva, Barak Berkowitz, Benoit Bergeret, Mike
Rogers, Michael Copeland, Bambi Franciso and David Sifry.

Over
250 companies from across Europe and Israel competed in the
Innovate!Europe ’09 program for the title of Europe’s Most Promising
Startup. A select group of finalists, chosen by a world-class
panel of serial entrepreneurs, investors and journalists, were invited
to participate in this year’s Trade Mission to Silicon Valley.

Innovate!Europe is a three-part program
designed to identify Europe’s top startups who are ready to expand to
Silicon Valley and beyond. More than 250
European and Israeli companies were evaluated by Guidewire Group’s
analyst team which selected the finalists based on the quality of their
product concept, market opportunity, business execution and management
team.

The most promising companies from Innovate!Europe
are coming to Silicon Valley on June 8-12 for a week of relationship
building with partners, investors, service providers and media. These
companies may be your next partner, client, investment or story, so
check them out at http://www.innovate-events.com/finalists-applicants/

Participants
in Innovate!Europe will have an opportunity to put their newfound
knowledge to use during an invite-only Innovate!Europe Trade Mission
that will visit Silicon Valley, June 8-12, 2009.

The Trade Mission will help accelerate your launch into Silicon
Valley, introducing you to a high-level audience of venture
capitalists, private investors and U.S. entrepreneurs, and facilitating
access to financiers, partners and service providers who can further
your company’s growth – all while immersing you in the Silicon Valley
startup culture. It is intended to put you face to face with the people
and companies that you need to know in order to build your global
business.

Session A: Understanding Incorporation and Financing Structures in the U.S.

What are the different methods by which companies obtain financing
in the United States? This work session explores jurisdictions of
incorporation, licensing requirements, whether to obtain angel or
venture financing and the differences between them, convertible cash advance loans structures, preferred equity round structures, hot button due
diligence issues for investors, employment terms and vesting
requirements, and tax issues.

The program for the week’s events is available below.

Monday, June 8, 2009

The opening session will be held at the Innovate!Europe Trade Mission “base camp” hotel, the San Mateo Marriott.

1:00 pm Trade Mission Welcome Lunch & Working Session

We re-introduce Trade Mission
members to the Guidewire Group team and one another, outline the week’s
program details, and re-visit your needs and wants.

3:00 pm Coffee Break

3:30 pm Workshop: “They Made It”

Angelika Blendstrup literally wrote
the book on the practices of Silicon Valley’s most successful
entrepreneurs, and she did so with a unique focus, telling the stories
of foreign-born entrepreneurs, such as Eric Benhamou, Jean-Louis
Gassee, Raj Singh, Wu Fu Chen, Suhas Patil, Omid Kordestani, Qi
Lu and Dan Maydan.

Through these stories, Angelika has
identified “recipes for success” with specific ingredients that if
applied may smooth the path upward. Angelika is a special resource for
non-native Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. She speaks five languages and
teaches U.S. business communications to international executives,
coaching them in accent reduction, corporate presentations, personal
branding and interviewing skills. We’re delighted to bring her
expertise to you in this session.

Sponsored by the French Trade Office
of the French Embassy, the French Tech Tour brings a handful of French
entrepreneurs to Silicon Valley to meet with potential customers. This
year, the French Tech Tour occurs during the same week as
Innovate!Europe Trade Mission. The two organizations are cooperating
with one another to provide expanded opportunities to meet Silicon
Valley customers and investors. Guidewire Group Chairman Chris Shipley
will give a brief welcoming address at this event.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Tuesday’s program provides the
opportunity to tour some of Silicon Valley’s most remarkable technology
companies. Trade Mission attendees will travel together to visit these
companies.

8:00 am Meet in Lobby of San Mateo Marriott; Depart by 8:15am.

8:45am Visit to Sun Microsystems, Menlo Park

Sun will host a special morning
meeting for Trade Mission participants with company chairman and
co-founder Scott McNealy, followed by a presentation on Sun’s Startup
Essentials program. Startup Essentials provides education, resources
and support to technology entrepreneurs around the world, and this
overview will highlight the benefits and services available to young
companies. This is a unique opportunity to meet the leadership of Sun
as well as fellow Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. The visit will conclude
with a quick tour of the company’s innovation center to give Trade
Mission participants a look at some of Sun’s advanced technology
initiatives.

2:30pm Visit to Google campus in Mountain View

Trade Mission participants will be
treated to a private tour of Google’s headquarters in Mountain View
from 2:30pm to 4:00pm. It’s a unique opportunity to get a
behind-the-scenes look at one of the most successful companies in
Silicon Valley. More details will be shared at the kick-off meeting on
June 8th.

5:00pm Return to Hotel

6:00pm Depart for San Francisco

7:00pm First Round Capital — Summer Party

First Round Capital, one of the
premier early stage venture capital firms, is inviting
Innovate!Europe’s Trade Mission participants to its summer party in San
Francisco. The event is taking place at one of San Francisco’s historic
music venues, The Great American Music Hall, and will feature a who’s
who of Silicon Valley’s VCs, entrepreneurs and corporate executives. So
be ready to use your networking skills! First Round’s team
specializes in seed-stage investments, often providing a company’s
first outside capital. Some of the companies they’ve invested in
include Mint Software, VideoEgg, Transpera, Wikia, eInsured and Attributor.

9:30pm Bus departs for return trip to San Mateo Marriott

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

8:30am Meet in Lobby of San Mateo Marriott; depart hotel to first venue by 8:45am

9:30am Visit to Yahoo! campus in Sunnyvale

We’ll kick off the third day of the
Trade Mission with a visit to Yahoo!’s headquarters in Sunnyvale where
Trade Mission participants will get a chance to meet with members of
the company’s product and business development teams from 9:30am to
11:00am.

12:00pm Lunch at Plug and Play Tech Center in Sunnyvale

PlugandPlayTechCenter.com (PnP) is
home to some of Silicon Valley’s smartest technology startups. In
Sunnyvale, Palo Alto and Redwood City, PnP provides office services to
a thriving community of entrepreneurs , and enhances that experience by
creating networking opportunities for tenants to meet with and be
advised by investors and service providers. PnP is the host of the
Trade Mission’s Showcase and Reception.

1:00pm Workshop: Pitch Polish

This workshop provides one last
opportunity to hone your company positioning and presentation before
unleashing your message on the Innovate!Europe Trade Mission Showcase
attendees.

3:00pm Innovate!Europe Trade Mission Showcase

This is your chance to demonstrate
your technology to and speak one-on-one with Silicon Valley-based
entrepreneurs, investors, service providers and media.

5:00pm Showcase Reception

The Showcase continues into the
evening in a relaxed business networking environment. Silicon Valley
media, investors, entrepreneurs, corporate development executives, and
other potential high-value partners are invited to join this reception
to meet you and begin the process of relationship building. We will be
joined this evening by entrepreneurs from two other international
programs, ANZA (Australia/New Zealand) and the French Tech Tour.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

8:00am Meet in Lobby of San Mateo Marriott

8:30am Breakfast at Buck’s Restaurant in Woodside

Buck’s is the iconic meeting place
of entrepreneurs and investors in Silicon Valley. Many a business has
been started from plans drawn on the back of a Buck’s placemat. PayPal
demonstrated its first mobile-to-mobile electronic payment at a Buck’s
breakfast. If you’re going to live and work in Silicon Valley, you need
to know what it means when someone says, “Let’s meet at Buck’s.”

10:00am Office Hours at Orrick in Menlo Park

Thursday and Friday schedules are
designed to give you the opportunity to set private meetings with
individuals identified by you and/or Guidewire Group as important
potential partners. You will be provided with meeting space at the
offices of the Orrick law firm in the heart of Silicon Valley. In
addition to the open meeting schedule, we are arranging meals at some
of Silicon Valley’s most iconic meeting locations.

6:30pm Mentor Dinner at Il Fornaio in Palo Alto

Located in downtown Palo Alto and
just a mile from the Stanford University campus, Il Fornaio restaurant
is an institution in Silicon Valley. For years, it has served as the
meeting place for the thought leaders of the technology industry. We’ll
enjoy dinner at this classic restaurant as we reunite with a number of
the mentors who participated in the Zaragoza Master Class.

Friday, June 12, 2009

7:30am Meet in Lobby of San Mateo Marriott

8:00am Breakfast with Angels at Orrick

This informal breakfast meeting,
hosted at Orrick’s offices in Menlo Park, will give you the opportunity
to meet members of Silicon Valley’s angel investor community.

10:00am Office Hours at Orrick in Menlo Park

Friday’s flexible schedule is
designed to enable you to set meetings with new colleagues you’ve met
on the Trade Mission or existing Silicon Valley contacts you need to
see while you are in the area. Orrick’s office is conveniently located
off Highway 101 at the Marsh Road exit. It’s also only a short walk to
the Starbucks coffee shop that has become a rendezvous point for
Silicon Valley meetings.

1:00pm Visit to Microsoft campus in Mountain View

Trade Mission participants will
enjoy a private visit to Microsoft’s Silicon Valley campus in Mountain
View where we’ll meet with members of the company’s Emerging Business
Team from 1:00pm to 3:00pm.

4:00pm Closing BBQ

We celebrate the end of a successful
Trade Mission with an informal and relaxing barbeque at the San Mateo
Marriott where we’ll raise a glass to toast your future success in
Silicon Valley and around the globe.

Starting at 6:00pm Networking Events in San Francisco (Optional)

If you’re ready for more networking before the week ends, we’ve arranged invitations for you
to attend two parties in San Francisco. These are optional activities
that will require you to arrange your own transportation.

The first event is a Happy Hour
celebration hosted by StumbleUpon and STIRR from 5:00pm to 9:00pm at
111 Minna Gallery in San Francisco. The second event is a more intimate
gathering hosted by Innovate!Europe mentor Benoit Bergeret and
consultant Phil Jeudy that begins at 7:00pm. RSVPs are required — we’ll
share more details with you via email on June 8th.

NomaDesk,
a document collaboration solutions provider, was awarded the “Most
Promising Startup” honors at the 2009 Innovate! Europe Master Class.
Organized by the Guidewire Group, and Innovate Ventures, the
Innovate!Europe program identifies the top technology start-ups in
Europe and Israel and helps them accelerate their business
internationally while providing them with valuable exposure.

Among the 168 promising start-ups that competed, NomaDesk stood out
due to its potential – excellent technology, strong management team and
already successful business model. As the “Most Promising Startup,”
NomaDesk will spend three months in the Guidewire STUDIO, an
in-residence business accelerator in the heart of Silicon Valley, where
NomaDesk executives will have the opportunity to benefit from
high-tech, business and investment expert mentors, to reach new
investors and to form strategic partnerships.

“NomaDesk grabbed the winning nomination from our mentors because
the company is already making substantial progress in its efforts to
take its business into new markets,” said Chris Shipley, Chairman of
Guidewire Group. “From its current revenue-generating business, we
expect NomaDesk to become a brand name in the global market for virtual
document sharing and storage.”

“NomaDesk is honored to have won this competition, which rewards
over 5 years of hard work and innovation, and we are looking forward to
further benefiting from Guidewire Group’s strategic advice and
guidance.”

The prize was awarded to NomaDesk for its file sharing software
solution, which enables geographically dispersed professionals to store
files, synchronize, secure, access, transfer, and eventually securely
share them from any location, whether on- or off-line.

NomaDesk was founded in 2004 by Filip Tack, its current CEO,
along with CTO Miguel De Buf and COO Peter Geldhof. Based in Gent,
Belgium, the company is supported by Gimv, a European independent
investment company. NomaDesk employs 17 employees with offices and
servers in Gent and Atlanta, Georgia.

After three jam-packed days in Zaragoza of high-energy pitching, feedback, and counsel from our slate of seasoned mentors,
we’re pleased to announce our top ten Master Class finalists. We’ll
share more about our selection process next week, and how the Master
Class mentors chose ten from such a deserving class of companies.
The winner of our 2009 Innovate!Europe competition will be announced
tonight in Zaragoza by Mr. Juan-Tomas Hernani, Spain’s newly appointed
General Secretary of Innovation, at a public reception. But in the
meantime, here are the top ten finalists, in no particular order.

We’ve
just confirmed that Mr. Juan-Tomas Hernani, Spain’s newly-appointed
General Secretary of Innovation, will take part in the closing
celebration of Innovate!Europe Master Class, next Wednesday, May 6.

Innovate!Europe will close its Master Class program with a public
forum, “Meet the Entrepreneurs,” where ten finalist companies will
present their businesses plans. Executives from each of the finalist
companies will give a 10-minute presentation that describes the
company, its unique value proposition, and its market potential.

At the completion of the the presentations, Mr. Hernani will address the Master
Class and join the leadership of Innovate!Europe to announce and
present the award to Innovate!Europe’s High-Potential Startup of 2009.

The forum will take place at the Teatro Principal in Zaragoza, Spain, Wednesday, May 6, at 18h00.

Innovate!Europe
is pleased to invite the business, academic, and media communities of
Zaragoza and Aragon to join the faculty and attendees of Master Class
during the opening session of Innovate!Europe 2009.

Following the official opening by the Honorable Juan Alberto
Belloch, mayor of the City of Zaragoza, the program will convene a
roundtable discussion of distinguished technology entrepreneurs and
investors lead by Ignacio de la Vega, founder and director of the
International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Ventures Development at
Instituto de Empressa Business School.

The discussion topic, Thriving in the Crisis, explores how new
and growing businesses can best weather the current economic storm, and
even come out ahead.

Innovate!Europe’s Master Class program
is taking place during the most difficult global economic crisis of our
lifetimes. Yet we share the common belief that entrepreneurship and
innovation are the surest way to shift market momentum and drive
economic growth. How must innovative companies plan and manage their
businesses during the recession to position themselves for better
growth and outcomes when the market begins to turn? Where is there
opportunity?

The public is invited to join Master Class mentors
David Sifry, Marten Mickos, Yoav Leitersdorf, Maximilian Niederhofer,
Barak Berkowitz, Madeline Duva, and Mike Rogers as they take up these
questions in a robust discussion hosted by Ignacio de la Vega.

The roundtable takes place Monday, May 4, at 19h00 at the Teatro
Principal, Zaragoza. For further information, please contact tina@innovateventures.com.

We’ve
very excited to post the program for this year’s Master Class.
The program offers a rich array of information, strategic counsel, and
first-hand learning for our finalists as they consider the next phase
of growth for their businesses.

The Honorable Juan Alberto Belloch, mayor of the City of Zaragoza,
and our esteemed patrons Informatica El Corte Ingles and the Gobierno
de Aragon, open the Master Class with an official welcome.

Thriving in the Crisis: A Mentor Roundtable

We convene this Master Class during the most difficult global
economic crisis of our lifetimes. Yet we share the common belief that
entrepreneurship and innovation are the surest way to shift market
momentum and drive economic growth. How must innovative companies plan
and manage their businesses during the recession to position themselves
for better growth and outcomes when the market begins to turn? Where is
there opportunity for such growth?
Ignacio de la Vega, Founder and Director of the International Centre
for Entrepreneurship and Ventures Development (ICEVED) at IE Business
School in Madrid will lead a discussion of Master Class Faculty and
Mentors as they share their strategies for Thriving in the Crisis.

19h30: Welcoming Reception – Lounge, Teatro Principal

May 5

9h00: Registration – Lobby, Teatro Principal

10h00: Opening Session

Welcome – Chris Shipley

Master Class: David Sifry On Leadership

David Sifry is the Chairman of Technorati and the founder and CEO of
OffBeat Guides. As a serial entrepreneur, David has built teams, raised
capital, taken products to market, and architected successful exits. He
brings a unique perspective on leadership, coaxing and coaching his
teams to be their very best. Leading our first Master Class, David
shares his insights on the skills, approach, and characteristics of
strong entrepreneurial leaders.

11h30: Coffee Break

12h00: General Session

Setting Expectations: Raising Money Here and There

Many companies will seek venture capital to fund their global
expansion. Fundraising is always challenging, particularly for
companies moving to Silicon Valley from outside the United States. Our
mentors discuss the realities of venture capital and suggest strategies
for raising expansion capital.

Mentors:

Yoav Andrew Leitersdorf, YL Ventures, Netherlands & Israel

Max Niederhofer, Atlas, United States

Nicolas Rose, Xange, France

Meet the Mentors

The heart of the Master Class program is the mentor relationship.
Participating entrepreneurs will be organized into small teams, each
lead by a mentor. This is an opportunity to learn from the mentor’s
experience, solicit feedback on your business, hone your company’s
pitch and positioning, and begin to build your Silicon Valley business
network.

13h30: Lunch with Mentors

Mentor teams will dine at local restaurants

15h30: Master Class Breakouts I – Roman Theatre

Session A: Building a Global Team

Innovate!Europe partners Orrick and AlpinaSearch provide insights
into how global companies can best operate in the US. They will address
the critical issues facing any company moving to the U.S., including
when to set up a subsidiary, how to capitalize the subsidiary, and
methods of creating an intra-company agreement with a European parent.
They’ll discover how to put in place an equity incentive plan,
establishing employment terms, set up a US bank account, and take
appropriate steps to protect company interests.

Mentors:

Gary Reeman, AlpinaSearch, Ltd. United Kingdom

John Bautista, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, United States

Session B: Driving Revenue

In any market, but particularly in today’s economic environment,
there is no greater imperative for the leadership of a startup venture
than to drive revenue growth. Veteran entrepreneurs and sales
executives discuss strategies for managing partners, accelerating sales
cycles, and closing new business.

Session: Adapting Your Business Plan in Times of Uncertainty, Shaping Strategy in the Current Economic Situation

The current atmosphere of uncertainty and insecurity is hampering
the entrepreneurial community in terms of decision making and launching
their initiatives. Our mentor will explain the key factors to consider
in a business plan in order to limit the additional risks that emerge
during a financial crisis.

Mentor:

TBD, Instituto Empresa, Spain

20h00: Sessions Adjourn

Tapas with classmates and mentors on your own

May 6

9h00: General Session - Teatro Principal

Master Class with Marten Mickos

Marten Mickos built mySQL into a global brand name, with operations
in more than 20 countries before selling the company to Sun
Microsystems in early 2008. Marten will share his experiences,
practices, and inside stories.

Setting Expectations: Doing Business in America

The decision to move into the U.S. market, move to Silicon Valley,
and expand your business globally is one of the most complex and
critical you’ll make for your growing startup. These European
entrepreneurs talk about how they came to that decision for their
companies and offer their guidance and advice for companies following
their example.

Mentors:

Benoit Bergeret, Founder, Realeyes 3D, France

Barack Berkowitz, serial entrepreneur, United States

10h30: Coffee Break

11h00: Master Class Breakouts III – Roman Theatre

Mentor:

John Bautista, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, United States

Session B: Dancing with Elephants: Contemplating Partnerships

Partnering with another company is always a careful dance, and it is
especially so as young companies strive to engage with well-established
organizations. This session offers a perspective to our Master Class
attendees as they seek to partner with global companies, and sets
expectations for the Trade Mission to Silicon Valley.

Mentor:

Chris Shipley, Guidewire Group, United States

13h30: Lunch w/ Mentors

15h30: Master Class Breakouts IV – Roman Theatre

Session A: Tackling the Immigration Challenges

Innovate!Europe partner Orrick explains the various methods by which
European founders can work in the US. This session reviews different
Visas, such as O1, L1, and H1B, using case studies of recent companies
and entrepreneurs who have relocated to the US.

Mentor:

John Bautista, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, United States

Session B: Working with the Global Media

Public relations and media remain the most cost-effective marketing
a young company can do. This workshop explores how startups can extend
their global reach by working effectively with traditional and emerging
social media outlets.

Mentors:

Colette Ballou, Ballou Public Relations, France

Michael Copeland, Senior Writer, Fortune Magazine, United States

Bambi Francisco, Founder, Vator.TV, United States

(by appointment) Pitch Session Rehearsals – Teatro Principal

Competition finalists will report to the Teatro Principal to rehearse their company pitch in advance of the closing session.

Finalists for the 2009 Innovate!Europe Top Startup prize will
present their companies in this public forum. Each entrepreneur will
give a 10 minute presentation that describes the company, its unique
value proposition, and its market potential.

Innovate!Honors: Entrepreneur of the Year

Innovate!Europe recognizes the achievements of the 2009 Master Class
by awarding the Entrepreneur of the Year award to the one company that
represents the greatest potential to out-perform in the global ITC
market.

The award will be presented by Spain’s General Secretary of Innovation, The Honorable Juan-Tomas Hernani.

As
you know, our goal with Innovate!Europe is not just to identify the top
startups in Europe and Israel and help them accelerate their business
in Silicon Valley, but to provide valuable exposure to every company
that applies. That’s why we’re excited to tell you about the
partnership we’ve created with to help Innovate!Europe applicants introduce themselves to Vator.tv’s influential audience.

Vator.tv is a place for startups to share their news and inform
people of what they’re up to, either in video or short messaging. It’s
a great launch-pad and marketing tool for entrepreneurs seeking
exposure to the tens of thousands of investors, technology company
executives and entrepreneurs who visit Vator.tv each month to find and
follow hot startups.

We invite you to meet all of Innovate!Europe’s applicants as they post their video introductions to the Innovate!Europe competition on Vator.tv, and follow them as they go through the Innovate!Europe program and improve their pitching skills.